I am wife to "Stud" and mother to a 17 year old boy, "Cryptic". "Jock" is 14 and "Clown" is 10. Our only daughter, "Princess", is 9. This is just a place to talk about them and other aspects of my crazy life!!

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Well, we got the tats last night. I ended up getting a really pretty butterfly on the back of my left calf. I may add to it later although it hurt pretty bad! I was surprised, I assumed there would be enough fat there to make it less painful. I guess my legs are more muscular than I thought and the muscles did not like it! LOL

I did not get my Canadian bar code yet. We were there for five hours and Scott only spent three of those putting any ink on us. Well, no I guess it was more than that since he spent 25 minutes fixing the cross on Stud's calf since Stud let it get infected when Scott first put it on a few years ago! *sigh* So that took time away from MY ink time. He said he will be back in a few months and he will do the bar code then. I also want my shamrocks and my brother's name in my Mum's writing at that time. So we shall see. Mine are much smaller than Studs and don't take near the amount of time that his do.

I will post a photo of my butterfly when the swelling goes down and it is not as pink and blotchy.

In other news, Stud's little sister is going to be in a movie with George Clooney and Renee Zellweger!! How COOL is that?? She called Stud yesterday to tell him. The parts she will be in start filming next week, right near where they grew up in South Carolina. Apparently the people were looking into filming some on the land that Stud grew up on and their Dad told them to put his daughter in the film or something?? I mean, he suggested it. She has always loved acting and is quite cute. She is a prettier version of the girl Haley currently on American Idol. She also looks a bit like Julia Roberts.

Anyway, they opted not to film any of it on that land but somewhere nearby. Stud's parents are in the process of selling the land right now. There will be a Medical Center and Shopping Center, etc. We are really sad about it, because that land has been in the family for generations. However, times change. I am still unclear about how small or big of a part it is, whether it is a speaking role or not. I need to talk to her and find out!

Not sure if I mentioned, Stud is playing Jesus in the Easter Production at our church this year. He has often had parts in it, and this year they finally asked him to play Jesus. He is VERY excited. Gonna be interesting to see how much make-up they need to cover up his tattoos!!!

Well, I had better get off of here and clean up a bit. Finally getting the basement organised and tidied. I am having a Pampered Chef party tomorrow after church and need to make sure the kitchen is cleaned up and functional.

I hope to post about Brom soon, still waiting for Stud to make this short video clip of him barking at the hand held vacuum. Pretty funny!

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

He is planning to get a new tattoo, finally. He has decided on the one he wants and we both like it. So last night, we decided to go check out prices at various places. It is funny to go into those places, because most of the people who work there are completely COVERED in tattoos and have lots of piercings. Not my cup of tea, but they are very nice people and that is what matters. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE tattoos. Obviously. As addicting as they are, I think you still need to stop somewhere and have SOME blank skin showing, you know??

The first tattoo Stud got is a total mess. It needs to be fixed badly. We asked about it last night and it will cost as much to fix it, as it will to get his new one! So we will just get his new one right now.

We ended up at the place we really like and some guy we have never seen was asking when Stud wanted this done. He said this week or next week. The guy said that would work well, they had things pretty much open and some guys from their Montana shop had just arrived. They were actually unloading the trailer right out front. We had seen the trailer when we drove up. So we asked who had arrived. We were both hoping to hear the name "Scott" since that is our favourite guy. He is the one who did my dragonflies and the cross on Stud's calf. I get compliments on my dragonflies ALL THE TIME.

Sure enough, Scott had just arrived from Montana!!! He came in and saw us and we were all saying "Hey! How's it going!?!?!?" and all excited. He is such a sweet guy. Very talented too.

He will only be here for five days, and Stud got an appointment for Friday. This one will take 2-3 hours. We just could not BELIEVE that he happened to show up the one day we decided to go check out when it could be done and how much it will cost.

So I was going to ask Scott when he would be back again to do some of the small ones that I want. I assumed we could not afford to do what I want as well as Stud's. Stud was SO SWEET! He said to block out some time for me too, because I can get two of the ones I want! Since Scott is only here for such a short time, he wanted me to be able to get some too and not have to wait. Isn't that sweet??? I am PSYCHED! FINALLY! It has been over a year since I got a tat and I am going through withdrawal.

Scott is also going to touch up the cross that he put on Stud's calf. DORKY Stud let it get totally infected right after Scott did it. So he will touch that up for him while he is in there getting this one done on his right arm. He asked to see my dragonflies and when I showed him he said it looked like I was taking good care of them:)

So now comes the hard part. Narrowing down which ones I want and where to put them. I want about eight more, but then I don't like the idea of being covered with them. It is so hard, because there are so many ideas I have and then figuring out where to put them is SO HARD. I want to be able to see them when I want to, but I also like the idea of ones on the back, shoulder blades, back of the legs, etc. I always forget what the one on my neck looks like and I need to get a mirror to look sometimes and remember what it looks like! LOL

We know for sure one of them will be this COOL one that Stud found. It is a Canadian Flag that looks like a bar code thing. It says "Made In Canada" and then the bar code #'s will be my birthday. I want one on my hip and Stud thinks that is where I should get this one. I want to be able to show it off though and who ever sees my hip besides Stud?? Cryptic and Jock think I should get it on my shoulder blade somewhere. I also want one there, but I am thinking a butterfly or something like that should go there. I want one on my hand, but this is too big for my hand. What a pickle I am in, eh???

We also found this awesome butterfly that I want. Who knows where, possibly the shoulder blade idea. I really want this pretty shamrock one, and I am thinking that one will go on my hand. I want to do my brother's name in my Mum's handwriting that she sent me. I just cannot for the life of me figure out where to put it! I was thinking along the inside of my right arm but now I am not so sure. I think I still need to wait a bit more on that one, I just can't seem to figure out where to put it. So hang in there, Mum. I will get it eventually!

Watch the blog for photos of new tats! I will wait until Saturday or Sunday to take pictures, I don't want them to be all red. May wait a bit longer, because they are always all shimmery with the ointment you need to keep on there.

We were just amazed at the timing. Scott shows up for a short time RIGHT when we get there to see about this tattoo?? Freaky. There is no such thing as coincidence, God wants us to have these tats now:)

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Today I was out running errands and on my way home was talking to Stud on the phone. I asked him to have the kids ready outside to help me unload the car.

He asked me if I knew where Jock was. By this time, it was 90 minutes since school had let out and Cryptic had been home. Tuesdays and Thursdays Jock has been staying for "after school activities". However, he knows he is supposed to let us know if he is planning in participating in those. He is to call us. He claims that the office will call and check to make sure it is alright, but they have yet to do that the six or seven times he has stayed after.

A local kid kid was almost abducted a few weeks back. His sister saw these guys trying to drag him into an SUV and ran and grabbed him and ran to a neighbours and called 911. Since then, I told Jock that he has to walk with Cryptic. To and from school. He is ready for school about ten minutes before Cryptic most mornings and is MAD that he has to wait for Cryptic. So he was not pleased with this and now has taken to staying after without permission. Cryptic has said he is not interested in the after school activities, wants to get home ASAP and doesn't think he needs to wait for Jock. I agree of course.

Not only is Jock in major trouble for not telling us he was staying at all, but he didn't even call to let us know he would not be home until 5. I got home around 4:30 or 4:40. I took Clown and Princess up to the school with me, while Cryptic unloaded the car and put everything away. I wanted to check and see if he stayed after for a program they have for the kids to catch up on school work. Sometimes he and Cryptic stay for that.

The office was locked, so we went up to the track and looked around, asked some people if they knew who he was and had they seen him. No one even knew who he was. There were just a few kids and some other people throwing frisbees to their dog.

We continued on back to our neighbourhood and stopped by the three houses where he might be. Sometimes he goes to his friend K's house after and calls us from there. We can see K's house from our's and I often wave to him from the window as he talks to me on the phone from there. K's little sister said he was at wrestling and she had not seen Jock.

Went to his friend D's house. He is in high school and gets out earlier. He said he saw him up at the school, but that was hours ago.

Went to his other friend D's house. We were praying and Clown was muttering, "OK, I am getting concerned now." Princess held my hand tight and was trying not to cry.

When we went to D's house and he was home and his Mom said he had been home a long time and she had no idea where Jock was, Clown said, "Ok, now I am FREAKED OUT!"

I got home and was trying to stay calm. I asked Stud what we should do. He was getting ready to come help me look, when he suggested I try the gym at the school, if K's sister said he was at wrestling. Maybe Jock stayed to watch him. He is usually really good about letting us know when he will be later than he should be. Most of the time. And he has NEVER been this late!

So I took the car up to the school. There were a bunch of kids waiting for their parents to pick them up after wrestling. I asked them if they knew him, they said no. Then as I was walking to the gym, I saw a kid that Jock can't stand. He is also in high school, so I am not sure what he was doing at the middle school. We shall call him J. Anyway, I asked him if he had seen him and he said no. I asked if he had seen K and he said yes.

Now I was really freaking! K and Jock are pretty much inseparable. I know J and Jock don't like each other, so there is a possibility that he HAD seen him with K and was lying. I wouldn't put it past this kid. He is one of those who is all sweetness and light when I am around, but when he thinks I am gone and I listen in, he has a filthy mouth and picks on Jock and K.

So, I was ready to call the cops when Stud called to say that Jock was home.

*whew*

He was acting like I was a nutjob when I ran in and grabbed him and was crying and hugging him. Princess started crying too and he was looking at us while we were nuts while Stud let him have it by yelling a little. Not too much, but he spoke firmly and Jock knows we are not happy.

Just a FEW of his consequences:

I am walking him to and from school. LOL HA! How is that one?? Man, he will be mortified that his mother will walk him there and back, eh?? Little dork.

He sat on a chair all night, and then cleaned up from supper and put away anything Cryptic did not get done while the search for Jock was underway. He is now on his way to bed early.

He may not attend his hockey tournament this weekend. That is still up in the air.

He most certainly will not be staying for after school activities AT ALL the rest of the year.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

So you may recall that a young boy smashed into my car a few weeks back as I tried to park in my driveway.

I spoke with our insurance person on the phone and various calls have been made and things done. She called today to let me know that both sides have agreed that each company will pay 50% of the other's damages??

I said, "Wait. Why should you guys pay anything?? HE crashed into ME. He was obviously not paying attention, are his parents still trying to claim that somehow he is not at fault??"

She said that his insurance company was trying to place the whole thing on me and that the only thing that got them to stop that nonsense was the statement of the girl who saw the entire thing.

It seems the boy changed his story and tried to say (LIED OUTRIGHT) that I was in the wrong lane, over to the left and trying to turn into my driveway from that lane!?!?!? It is almost laughable, if it was not so blatantly OUTRAGEOUS.

The witness said no, I was not and that HE was not paying any attention at all. I am sure she saw that he must have looked down or was playing with his cell phone or SOMETHING. I have no idea and am totally speculating obviously.

He said the day it happened that he did not see me. Now he claims I was in the wrong lane?? If he didn't see me, how can he say something like that?? It is a total fabrication and since I was a DORK and moved the vehicles to get out of the way of oncoming traffic...look at the mess.

This kind of thing INFURIATES me. Thank goodness for that girl stepping forward, though. I want to thank her. I still see no reason that our insurance should shell out a penny, though. This is so maddening. Stud is livid and is going to call her back and talk to her. That kid knows DARN WELL he is 100% at fault. That is why he was so frantic to get it all taken care of before his Dad even found out about it. I am sure he is scared and that is what caused him to lie about any of it.

I have told the total truth since the second it happened. I was truthful about the fact that I don't think I signaled. I still don't see how that has anything to do with it, though. If someone doesn't signal, do you ram into them to teach them a lesson?? But if they DO, then you stay back and let them pull in and THEN carry on?? Makes no sense at all. I am always signaling and have been made fun of, it is such an instinctive thing for me to do. I remember that day going to and then thinking no, why?? It is obvious what I am doing here. Stud said later when the kid pulled into our lower driveway for them to look at the damage, that HE didn't signal. So why am *I* being punished for not doing it??

Anyway, there we go for now. I need to get Princess in bed and finish playing a game with Clown while Cryptic does his homework. Stud and Jock are...where else?? Hockey!

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

I am NOT in a good mood. I was up far too often during the night and now have not made it for my walk to Curves, my work out and then my walk back. Which I LOVE to do.

Apparently, Princess saw a picture on the Loch Ness Monster in a book at the library at school. Now she is TERRIFIED that it will somehow get in her room.

No amount of comforting and common sense works.

I told her it does not exist.

I told her *IF* it does, it is in a deep lake, in a country on a continent across the ocean, far from here. Drew a picture, so that she would understand better.

I said that also if it did, it cannot come out of the water, even if it wanted to, which it wouldn't want to. I told her it is scared of being out of water and won't be able to breathe.

I told her that kids live right near the lake that it is in, IF it exists, and they are not afraid because they know it can't get it out of the lake and that it doesn't want to.

She needs every light on possible and I am losing patience. I have tried praying with her. I have cuddled, joked, hugged and let her choose which nightlights/lamps to use.

Jock got her a really cool Tinker Bell night light for Christmas a few years ago. The thing spins and lights up her entire room. Not good enough.

Fine, he also got her a string of Tinker Bell lights that are all on her headboard and light up right above her head. This was one of her gifts from him this past Christmas. Nope, still not enough.

I let her turn on the Hello Kitty lamp on her dresser across the room from her bed. It looks like daylight in the room, but it is still not good enough.

I got her settled with two of the nightlights/lamps turned on and woke up at midnight, to the puppy growling. I get up and see that she has turned on the Princess lamp on her bedside table, as well as the bathroom light down the hall AND the lights in the stairway going downstairs. She has turned on her music and is sitting straight up in bed, wide awake.

*sigh*

I took the dog out to pee, since he was now awake, I might as well take him, right?? So I turned off lights and told her she gets TWO and the Hello Kitty lamp and one of the night lights was PLENTY. I told her if she turns on the light in the bathroom or hallway again, she will be punished. If she continues to wake Brom up, she will be punished. I told her I am sorry she is scared, I have tried everything, it is not considerate to wake the entire house because she needs lights on and thinks something that doesn't even exist is going to come into her room somehow.

I know I should be more patient, but I am REALLY losing it here!!!

I am sure that all the light is part of what is waking her in the night. She thinks that is silly of course and has herself convinced that the more light, the better. I find it interesting that when she used to sleep with one soft night light, that she slept fine and slept through the night, for the most part.

I just got settled, when I hear Brom growling again and hear stomping and am just getting out of bed when I almost collide with her. She was coming to tell me that her ribs hurt. Something always hurts and I can't take it seriously, because I don't know if it is just an excuse to be out of bed to avoid the "Loch Ness Monster" or what.

Friday, February 09, 2007

There was a mishap last night during all the excitement to watch Survivor.

Thursday nights used to be our "Family Night". We would hold a short meeting, discuss concerns, praise people for improving since the previous week, bring up new concerns if there were any, etc. We would have a snack, play some games (we have set up obstacle courses, played hide-and-seek, as well as board games etc) and then try to fit in watching "Survivor". Soon, it ended up being just Survivor night and the kids all sleep in the Rec Room together, which is a huge thrill, especially for Princess. Since she is the only kid with a bedroom on the main floor with the boring old parents. She loves to be downstairs with her cool brothers.

Monday nights are Family Nights and Thursdays are strictly Survivor nights. We may work in a few board games prior, depending on how things go.

Ah yes, the mishap.

So last night Jock and Cryptic were sent down here to set up the sleeping bags, pillows etc for everyone to get settled down here to bed after the TV show. Jock came upstairs and told Stud and I that Cryptic had hurt himself. We didn't hear anything, so were surprised. I guess he is maturing past the screaming like a banshee stage???

I found him crumpled in a pile in one of the hallways. Apparently, in all the commotion, he had somehow slammed his foot into the baseboard, I believe at a corner, no less. The last three toes on his foot is what took the brunt of it.

His toes were a bit swollen, so I carried him upstairs (can you imagine being able to CARRY your 14 year old son?? That is how light he is! Dude is the exact same height as me, but since he weighs almost fifty pounds less, it is very easy to carry him) and we got some ice. Princess got her "Hello Kitty" ice pack from when she always needed it for "boo boos" and Cryptic was very sweet. He was in pain but still struggled to find the right words to ask her for something bigger without hurting her feelings:)

He moaned and groaned all through Survivor and I decided to make sure and take him to get it checked and hopefully X-rayed today.

This morning the middle of the three was still swollen, but he said it wasn't as painful. I told him I wanted it checked anyway and he was all too happy to miss school!!!

Now to explain the subject of this post!

She ordered x-rays. When we went back in to look, she furrowed her brow and put her chin in her hands and then muttered, "Well, that's funny."

Cryptic was sitting on the exam table reading. He looked up and asked in a hesitant voice, "What's funny?"

She told him to come and look at the bones on the ends of his toes. She said that they are very pointed and funny looking! Especially the one on his pinky toe, it was a tiny little claw like thing, instead of broader and rounded like it should be.

As we were marveling over that, I noticed that he seemed to be missing a bone in his pinky toe. I brought it to her attention and she was totally in shock!

She said, "You are right!!!!!!!! Look at that Cryptic, you have two bones in your pinky toe and you are supposed to have three!!!"

She got a book and showed us how people's toes are supposed to look and sure enough. Dude is missing a bone in his pinky! It simply is not there. She told him that he had to have gotten it from his Dad and/or myself. So we were all laughing and he asked me to take off my shoes and socks (which I was all too happy to do, since I hate wearing anything on my feet anyway) and let her see if I was that way.

Yes. Poor kid gets it from me! WHO KNEW!?!?! We were laughing and she was calling us "Mutants". It was so funny and weird.

So I came home and Stud and I inspected his toes and the guy is totally normal! Who would have thought it???

Alright, Clown wants to play some board games and Princess wants some more food. Stud and Jock are at Jock's hockey practise and Cryptic is watching TV. I slaughtered Clown today playing some games of this and I think he wants a rematch! He has not played it before, he has played the kids' version. So he did pretty good for a first time player.

I hope to FINALLY post about Jock's hockey tournament in BC this weekend. I have some nice pictures to share:)

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Stud has been AMAZING with me being sick!!! He has REALLY changed the past four or five months. It is SO NICE:)

It truly is amazing, the changes that have taken place. Yesterday, he took Princess to school, and picked her up at 11:30. I took Cryptic to the Dr. and got some groceries and tried to do some things around the house. By 4:30 I couldn't do anymore and was resting on the couch. He took Cryptic to Tae Kwon Do, went and picked him up AND made supper!?!? This last one DOES NOT happen (I can count on one hand the times it has happened in 17 years of marriage) and man was it DELICIOUS! Hamburger Helper and canned corn. YUMMERS!! The BEST part was that I never even asked him to do it. He just did it.

THEN!!! This morning he didn't even wake me up. He got Princess up, fed her, got her dressed and got her to school. Clown and I did not even get up until almost 10 this morning! He also went and got her from school again and then let me sleep most of the day away. Man, I must have needed that! I feel like a totally different person now and think I am on the road to recovery finally!

Sure does help to have a hubby who works from home! When he has worked from home in the past, he would not help AT ALL. With ANYTHING. I could never leave a kid here to just run and get something done or anything. Had to drag them all with me to get a 20 minute errand done, on and on. Since he started working from home again this past fall, I can leave Clown with some school work and go and get all manner of errands done and am sometimes late so he needs to get Princess from school. He has not complained once.

This is SUCH an answer to prayer!!!

So, I just wanted to share how incredible the Studmeister is being:) Sure does make me feel loved and cared for and not like a burden anymore:) teehee LOVING IT! Can you tell?? LOL

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Well, I have been sick since about Wednesday or Thursday. *sigh* I don't get sick, so I can't complain. I just feel like I have hardly gotten anything done at all and it is most frustrating. I can hardly breathe, am constantly sneezing, nose running, runny eyes, etc etc. I need to be in Princess's class on Tuesday and unless some miracle happens, I don't see that actually transpiring. I am sad, I really look forward to working in her class. That age is SO CUTE and fun!

What a week. Especially what a weekend! Let me backtrack a bit.

Monday I got up and walked to Curves, worked out and walked back. I LOVE doing that, it really wakes me up and gets the day off to an awesome start!

When I got back, I found that Jock was not feeling well and was in bed. Cryptic had gone, even though he really wanted to stay home. I doted a bit on Jock and soon discovered my tummy was upset also. I was feeling quite sick and went back to bed. He and I felt a little off all day, but by that night were right as rain again.

Tuesday I made an appointment with the school counselor to meet with Jock and myself. He has been complaining about this one teacher a lot and said he is constantly humiliating him. Jock is one of those people who is very easily influenced by others and a real people pleaser. If the people are those other than his immediate family!!! I cannot tell you how often I get complimented about him when I go places. How polite, kind, funny, considerate etc etc that he is. The other parents in our homeschooling group used to be shocked when I would tell them that he was not allowed to do such and such for a consequence for negative attitude or disrespect or anything like that. After about three years, they started to see the side of him that we always see at home.

It is very important to him what others think of him, yet at home, he can be incredibly rude, disrespectful and belligerent. Which I hear is quite normal. Cryptic is the opposite. He can often be rude, condescending, snotty, very serious, aloof and distant outside the house, and states often how he could care less what anyone's opinion of him is. Conversely, when people we met at the HSing group have come to our house for supper or a birthday party or what have you, they were shocked to see a sweet, helpful, mature and light-hearted Cryptic and a butt-head Jock!

My point is that it is not common for Jock to have trouble getting along with anyone. He idolizes pretty much every adult in his life (except me! He is at an age where he is really pulling away from me and maybe I will do a post on that soon) and people just adore him. He can be an absolute perfect kid and angel, if he wants to be. So to hear that a teacher is treating him badly, is kind of a surprise. Then, we found out that the teacher has gone through his back-pack on at least three separate occasions.

Stud went with Cryptic a few months ago to meet with this same counselor about one of Cryptic's teachers. The man yelled continually and was making Cryptic very scared and nervous. The counselor suggested that Cryptic switch teachers and he is the one who stated that he would keep trying, he just wanted her to be aware of how uncomfortable he was. So when I took Jock in, I expected the same thing.

She said how proud and impressed she was with how Crytpic had handled himself and how in this case, she thought that maybe Jock's teacher is not aware of how he is coming across to Jock. She admitted to being very disturbed about the back-pack thing, but was constantly trying to find excuses for why he may have done that. After meeting with Jock for about half an hour, we agreed that she would talk to this teacher and see what his view of it all is. I expressed my concern that after how Jock feels is brought to his attention, that he be even worse to Jock. She said, "Not gonna happen. That is not tolerated." Well, I would hope what he has been doing up until this point will not be tolerated either. I continue to be blown away by what goes on in these public schools and what all is tolerated and what is not. It is very backward and VERY different from when I was in school. Of course, the fact that it is a totally different country may have something to do with it.

The rest of the week is pretty much a blur. I know on Wednesday I went to Costco, Target, grocery store etc and loaded up on stuff since Stud had just been paid. I think I was getting bad with this cold by then. We have been spending a lot of time playing a really fun new board game that the kids got for Christmas. The kids have watched "Open Season" many times since I went and purchased it on Wednesday. Also on Wednesday, Princess started a different dance class.

She had been taking ballet/tap all last year. She started again this past fall and after one month, wanted to quit tap. She is a ballerina at heart and found tap too difficult. She was good at it, but is naturally more graceful (not sure where she gets that from, must be Stud's side of the family??) and wasn't having fun. So we had to change our schedule around and ended up missing so many of her ballet classes, that is why she was so unprepared for her Christmas recital. I have been trying to take her to make-up classes and they ended up being on the original day (Wednesday) and time. She saw the other girls doing tap and told me she wanted to start again. PERFECT timing, because now is the time of year that we put the down payments on the Spring Recital costumes, get measurements, etc etc. So her teacher said she can go back in that class for good, there was plenty of room. We are SO EXCITED, we saw what she will be wearing for each dance.

Her ballet outfit is a Zebra pantsuit. Her tap outfit is a 20's flapper dress, purple sequins and rainbow coloured feather boa and trim on the bottom of the dress. She and I have always wanted her to have one of the sparkly costumes, so we are VERY HAPPY!:) That was exciting except that she can't fit her tap shoes that she wore for one month this past fall! *sigh* So we need to go get new shoes and sell these on Ebay.

That was very exciting. Oh, I know. We went to a meeting at the school about Jock's band trip this Spring. The plan is to go to Spokane for a Spring Parade or something in May. We have been very psyched about it and that meeting got us even more excited. Jock was beside himself, Stud signed up to be late night security at the hotel, etc etc.

Jock has been a BUTT. Truly. Getting worse and worse. The mouth on him is just...*sigh* He has always been our hardest kid, and we try desperately not to make him feel that he is, because he will just fulfill that label. I have read all about it. We focus on the positive and praise ALL THE TIME. It is a constant dilemma, trying to figure out which negative to ignore, and which to point out and use to guide and teach. I have recently become aware that if Cryptic does something similar to Jock, I am not as hard on Cryptic. Jock is an "in your face" type of person, always around, mouth constantly going. Cryptic is more in the background and sly, kind of sneaky with his antics. So even though he may be a butt, it seems to take a while for that to register with me.

Since I have become aware of this, I sat them down and told Jock that I am sorry. I told Cryptic that I will crack down on him more and I have been. I can tell that Jock feels that things are a bit more "fair", so that is good. Still, he has this attitude that he knows everything and is the authority on everything. He knows it all, just ask him and he can tell you. He is never wrong. Apparently, I was the same when I was a kid. I am sure I have not lost it all, but I know I have improved. Stud is that way, always has been since I have known him. So poor Jock came by it naturally and really did not stand a chance. Since Stud and Jock spend so much time together and Jock worships Stud...you get the picture.

We have told Jock that he has GOT to get his act together and treat us all better. We had been giving him chores for any time he lipped off or was rude, calling sibs names, etc etc. The house is getting cleaner and cleaner, because if he has attitude about that, he gets chores added. Here is an example:

Me - Jock, don't talk to Clown that way. You don't like people to call you names, right?? YOu need to tell him you are sorry.

J- Whatever. *insert rolling of eyes here and a lovely glare*

Me- Ok, you can fold Clown's laundry for him, since you cannot treat him nicely.

J- So?? Geez. You think I CARE??

Me- *trying to stay calm* Go ahead and clean you and Crytic's bathroom as well.

J - FINE! MAN!

So then I am thinking, that was rude. Do I keep adding, do I ignore? He has a right to be annoyed, that is fine. Yet he is choosing to be a dork. He KNOWS the consequences, yet is always testing. He claims that Stud lets him get away with acting a certain way, yet if I am around, then I crack down and Stud backs me up. He gets frustrated to tears and says that is not fair. When they are alone, Stud lets him do that. Maybe that is why he doesn't want me around ever, cause I am harder on him and don't allow it??

Anyway, today he was a royal D*ck. Depending on the offense, we have said that he will miss a hockey game. He had two games yesterday and then this morning was being a turd. So I suggested Stud bench him when they got there. Then I decided that he should just stay home. Srud went to coach the game and Jock turned into an angel. When we used to take him to his counselor, he admitted that he is fully aware of what he does. I was concerned that he was bi-polar for a while, but he doesn't have the rages they do and then when we know that he is aware, that is clearly NOT bi-polar. We told him if there was ANY other incident that he was not going on the band trip in May.

He was a dream. As reward, I allowed he and Clown to send messages to each other on their DS lites that they got for Christmas. I keep them and then bring them out when the kids have been pleasant and worked well together, been respectful, etc. Clown has been BEGGING to be able to spend time sending messages back and forth. So I told Jock they could do that for a while.

Within FIVE minutes Cryptic came up to tell me that Jock had typed in Jack*ss to wee little Clown and called him a Bi*ch!?!?!? He hears these words at school and I am sure has heard them in some movies we have not screened very well. His father and I DO NOT use words like that.

So we called Jock up and told him that he was NOT going on the Band trip. He was MAD and proceeded to go to Clown and say "Thanks to you, I am not going on my Fu*king band trip!"

I am not sure that we have ever used a belt on one of our kids. Stud has wanted to use it before and I have avoided it at all costs. I was totally 100% on board with that today. Clown came to me crying when he found out what was happening to Jock. He said that HE was the one who started typing in names on his DS. I asked him if it was names like what Jock said to him. No, but they were bad. "Stupid", "Idiot" and things like that. He said that he was kidding around and that he and Jock have done that before and he thought it was goofy. He didn't know Jock would get mad and type those other words. I said thanks for your honesty, and you will have a consequence for that since you know those are not allowed. But I told him he is not responsible for Jock choosing to call names back.

Jock could have ignored him, told him he was not using the DS to send messages, and CERTAINLY not typed in those worse names that Clown has not seen/heard before. I hugged him and told him he was not at fault for Jock getting what he was getting right then. We didn't hear any noise, it was handled quickly and quietly. Yet it still really upset Clown to know that his Dad was doing something like that to his big brother. I told him how those words were bad enough, what Jock typed, but then to go downstairs and say that to you, use that horrible word in front of you AND Princess, and on top of it all, try and guilt Clown into the fact that Jock CHOSE not to go on the band trip...no way. Not gonna fly.

Since then, Jock has been a totally ANGEL. Playing with the younger two, being sweet and loving, etc etc. So we need to stick to our guns here. I was really looking forward to that trip:( I will remind myself that we are saving MAJOR money and Jock is learning a valuable lesson. He was hard enough, but the child he is becoming since starting public school is just...scary. I thought I was prepared for it and Stud has even said if we need to, as a last resort, we will pull him out and have him home again earlier than originally planned. He complains about it sometimes, but overall he still loves it. So that would be the ulitmate consequence.

Alright, I know this was a lot to take in. This has taken me a long time and I have sneezed all over the monitor many times already. My chest is just burning, feels kinda like bronchitis or something. *sigh* May have to go to the Dr. I was getting so good about keeping active and working out, now that is all on hold.